Diaper wringers



7, 1957 R. H. SCHIF DIAPER WRINGERS Filed Dec. 25, 1954 INVENTOR. /?0BERT fl. SCH/F ATTORNEY United States Patent DIAPER WRINGERS Robert H. Schif, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Application December 23, 1954, Serial No. 477,180

3 Claims. (Cl. 4-1) This invention relates to diaper wringers; and more particularly, to diaper wringers for use in water closet bowls..

Women frequently rinse out their babies soiled diapers in the water closet. The usual procedure is to suspend the soiled portion of the diaper in the stream of water entering the water closet bowl as it is being flushed. The water passing out of the water closet bowl through the discharge opening therein has a tendency to suck the diaper out of the hand. If a person happens to let go of the diaper during this operation it will cause the passage leading from the water closet to become plugged up resulting in expensive plumbing repairs.

A further annoying problem arises in connection with transferring the wet, rinsed diaper from the water closet to the diaper pail. Most women dislike wringing the excess water from the diaper by hand before transferring it to the diaper pail; hence, the diaper is transferred without removing the excess water resulting in the water from the water closet bowl being dripped across the bathroom floor.

The principal object of the diaper wringer of the present invention is to eliminate the aforementioned difficulties by first providing a grid to cover the discharge opening of the water closet bowl during the rinsing operation and thereby prevent the passage of a diaper through said opening; and secondly, to provide means for wringing the excess water from the diaper and transferring the diaper to the diaper pail.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a diaper wringer which is compact and may be easily stored alongside the water closet.

Further objects of the present invention are the provision of a diaper wringer which is simple to operate, easy to clean, substantial and inexpensive.

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out specifically hereinafter in connection with the description of the drawings which follow, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the diaper wringer of the present invention in which the dotted line position of the operating lever and movable grid shows these elements in closed position;

Figure 2 is a view looking in the direction of arrow 2 Figure 1 showing the handle, operating lever and link;

Figure 3 is a view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1 showing the movable grid in the dotted line closed position of Figure 1 on top of the fixed grid;

Figure 4 is a view taken along line 44 of Figure 1 showing the fixed grid; and,

Figure 5 is a view showing the diaper wringer of the present invention in place within a water closet bowl, portions of the water closet bowl having been broken away to show the position of the diaper wringer therein.

Referring now to the drawing, reference numeral indicates the diaper wringer of the present invention in a general way and shows fixed grid 12 rigidly attached to the lower end of handle 14. Fixed grid 12 is sized and adapted to cover the discharge opening 24 of a water closet bowl and thereby prevent the passage of diapers into said opening. The cross frame members 16 of the fixed grid are positioned closely enough together to prevent the passage of a diaper therebetween. Handle 14 extends upwardly from the fixed grid to a point above the rim 18 of a water closet bowl when said grid is in position to cover the discharge opening 24. Movable grid 20 is attached to the handle for hinged pivotal movement about hinge pin 22 into closed position on top of the fixed grid as shown by the dotted lines in Figure l and the full lines in Figure 3. The cross frame members 26 of the movable grid preferably lie crosswise with respect to the cross frame members of the fixed grid when said movable grid is in closed position to provide a better surface for squeezing excess water from a diaper laid therebetween.

An operating lever 28 is connected to the handle near its upper end for pivotal movement about pivot pin 30.

Lever arm 32 is rigidly attached to the movable grid 20 and is operatively connected to the operating lever 28 by link 34 and pivot pins 36 and 38. Upward movement of the operating lever 28 from the full line position to the dotted line position in Figure 1 acts through lever arm 32 to move movable grid 20 downward from the full line position to the dotted line position on top of fixed grid 12. A stop 40 may be provided on the handle to limit the upward and rearward movement of the operating lever. A hook 42 may be provided on the handle in position to hook over the rim 18 of the water closet bowl to retain the diaper wringer in position with the fixed grid covering the discharge opening.

The diaper wringer of the present invention is positioned within a water closet bowl as shown in Figure 5 while rinsing out the diaper 44. Should the diaper be dropped into the water closet bowl it will be retained on the fixed grid as shown and prevented from passing through the discharge opening. After the diaper has been rinsed the fixed grid is raised by means of the handle above the water level 46 in the water closet bowl; whereupon, actuation or the operating lever to move the movable grid into closed position on top of the fixed grid will cause the diaper to be squeezed therebetween resulting in the removal of the excess water. Thereafter, the diaper wringer may be lifted from the water closet bowl and the diaper carried to the diaper pail where it can be deposited without having to touch it with the hands. It will be seen in connection with Figures 1 and 5 that the open position of the movable grid is such that the diaper may be easily placed upon the fixed grid. The diaper wringer of the present invention is lightweight and compact which permits it to be stored ready for use near the water closet.

Having thus described the many useful and novel fea tures of the diaper wringer of the present invention it will be seen that the many useful objects for which it was designed have been achieved; and therefore,

I claim:

1. A diaper wringer for use in a water closet bowl of the type having a discharge opening and a. rim, comprising: a first ring adapted to lay substantially horizontal in the bowl above the discharge opening therein; first wire means attached within the first ring combining therewith to form a supporting frame for a diaper laid thereon, said frame preventing passage of a diaper into the discharge opening while permitting water or the like to pass therethrough; a handle rigidly attached to the first ring and projecting upwardly therefrom at an obtuse angle to a point above the bowl rim; a second ring hingedly connected to the handle adjacent said first ring for pivotal movement from an open position wherein a diaper may be laid on the supporting frame from above to a closed position on top of said supporting frame; second wire means attached within the second ring in crossed relation to the first wire means when said second ring is in closed position, said second ring and wire means forming a grid co-acting with the supporting frame to form a wringer adapted to,

squeeze Water from a wet diaper laid therebetween when said grid is moved from open to closed position; an operating lever pivotally attached to the upper end of the handle; and, link means interconnecting the operating lever and second ring 'for moving the grid from open to closed position upon pivotal movement of said operating lever.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 in which a hook is attached to the handle adapted to engage the rim of the bowl when the supporting frame is in position covering the discharge opening.

3. A diaper wringer for use in a water closet bowl of the type .having a discharge opening and a rim, comprising: a handle of a length to extend from the discharge opening to a point above the rim of the bowl, means comprising a fixed grid rigidly connected to the lower end of the handle, said fixed grid being sized and shaped to form a cover for the discharge opening when laid in substantially horizontal position inside the bowl, and said grid forming means for supporting a diaper or the like thereon while permitting the passage of liquids or the like therethrough, means comprising a movable grid attached to the handle adjacent the fixed grid for pivotal movement from an open position wherein a diaper or the like may be laid upon the fixed grid from above to a closed position 'on top of said fixed grid, and means carried on the upper end of the handle and operatively connected with the movable grid for pivoting said movable grid between open and closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 26,393 Dunbar Dec. 6, 1859 150,302 Demoss Apr. 28, 1874 668,561 Goddard Feb. 19, 1901 683,518 Syverson Oct. 1, 1901 1,089,475 Johnson Mar. 10, 1914 1,192,330 Leppart July 25,1916 2,061,130 Balzer Nov. 17, 1936 2,352,845 McGowan July 4, 1944 2,473,852 Berry June 21, 1949 2,635,448 Rutten Apr. 21, 1953 2,660,772 Ehrhardt Dec. 1, 1 953v 

